Top 16 Books About Abuse Updated 04 /2024

This is a list of our favorite "Best Books on Abuse." We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have given us the ideas in this article (they have been credited for their contributions below).

It's important to us that you share your thoughts and feelings with us about all of our content, so we've set up a comment section where you can do just that. I don't think this list is going to be in any order.

The GIft of Fear by Gavin de Becker

In this book by Gavin de Bdecker, he talks about the history of fear and how it has played a role in the development of mankind. It's a good book for women to read because the author will show them how predators try to get you to give them control. This is an eye-opener for people, especially women, so they will be able to see if something is dangerous.

Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft

A book that will change your mind. Whether you're in an abusive relationship with your partner or a family member, this book is a good choice for people who need help. If you're not in one, it's better to read this, just in case.

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

Love this book, but you almost don't want to read it because it makes you think about things that are scary. People say that this is a story about physical abuse by the mother. Her main goal is to control the child's mental state. Mental pain was so bad that David didn't move even when his mother left him on his own. The family, the neighbors, and the school system were all affected by the lack of attention. Because this child was so determined and worked so hard, he lived.

The Gaslighting Recovery Workbook by Amy Marlow-MaCoy

Once you've been emotionally abused, you might think about giving up on life. This book will tell you that there is hope and that your life is not meant to end there. As you keep reading, there are ways the author of the book can help you. This, too, will pass.

Healing from Hidden Abuse by Shannon Thomas

Physical abuse leaves no broken bones, but it can be hard to see because it mostly hides in your normal surroundings. A book that helps people who have been abused understand that it is not their fault and that they aren't alone. In some cases, this book could be what you need to get better.

Mothers Who Can’t Love by Susan Forward

There are some mothers who can't love. That's what this book is about. It shows the many ways that an unloving mother looks. This kind of emotional abuse will also help you work on getting over it.

Under the Staircase by Darla Colinet

Under the Staircase, for your attention. In Under the Staircase, a book about a woman's journey to find her worth, even though her parents, an abusive husband of 13 years, and herself all try to stop her.

The hate you give by Angie Thomas

It shows how Starr Carter, a black 16-year-old, saw a white police officer shoot her friend dead. It's a skillful way for the author to tell the story, and we can see how Carter deals with the aftermath of the accident. If you don't use your voice when you should, what is the point? The fact that there is a movie version of this book with the same name shows that it has a lot of power with people who read it. People who have been protesting for Black Lives Matter have made the book more in touch with what's going on right now.

The 6-Figure Battered Wife by TaJuan “TeeJ” Mercer

While working on some of the most popular shows on TV, TeeJ was being held down in her own home. It was hard for TeeJ to accept the idea that domestic violence could happen to a woman who went to Howard University, was well-educated, and had a lot of success. How could TeeJ, a six-figure earner and a successful businesswoman in her own right, be walking on eggshells in her own home? She wondered if she could do anything right and thought she had gone crazy. It wasn't until one day that she came to the startling realization that she wasn't crazy; she was sleeping right next to craziest person in the world. There are many signs of abuse, but this book also gives you hope. You can turn the page and never be abused again.

Writing and Madness in a Time of Terror by Afarin Majidi

Most people who have been abused have been taught from a young age to accept abuse as part of a package with love. Writing and Madness in a Time of Terror tells the story of a woman who goes from one abusive relationship to the next, not realizing that she's making bad decisions that could hurt her. Some parts of the book are hard to read, but in the end, the book is a story about how to get through hard times. This book is very important because it talks about how to stop the cycle of abuse in your life.

Living in the Thriver Zone by Susan M. Omilian JD

There are three books in the "Thriver Zone" series by Susan M. Omilian. They help the woman go from being a victim to a survivor to a thriver, helping them find a life of power and purpose as they move through this journey. All of her books are available online, in stores, and at libraries across the country. No, they aren't. Living in the Thriver Zone – A Celebration of Living Well as the Best Revenge is the third book in this series. It comes out on October 17. The first two are getting into the zone and staying in the zone.

Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children by Teresa Gil

There are about twenty-two million mothers in the United States who have a history of child sex abuse (CSA). As they try to love and care for their children, these brave women tell their stories in this book. In order to help mothers who were sexually abused as children and break the cycle of abuse between generations, we need to start by unwrapping the curtain of silence. In each story, mothers talk about the things they worry about, what they need, how hard it is, and what they're afraid of as they raise their kids and deal with their own past. The mothers I talked to said that they thought there were emotional barriers that made it hard for them to be loved and to show love in healthy ways. There was so much to do and they didn't know how to set healthy boundaries or protect themselves or their children. The women wanted to change bad habits, thoughts, and defenses that once helped them deal with the dysfunction and violence they saw as children but now don't work for them as adults. However, the book also talks about the things in their lives that helped them to be resilient as mothers and to "defy the odds" so that they could give their kids something different from what they had as kids. This book is for adult mothers who were sexually abused as children, as well as family and friends who want to help them, as well as helpers.

My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem

This book is very unique. It uses knowledge from a variety of fields, like history and neurobiology, to show how racialized violence in the United States can be traced back to how white supremacy and white-on-white violence thrived in places like Europe. Not only that, but it connects this to modern-day police violence in a way that is kind and understanding. It shows how to break these patterns from a body-centered perspective instead of just an intellectual one. If you want to learn more about how trauma affects the body and how it affects communities and the legacy of violence, this book is for you. It will help you understand how police violence affects even its perpetrators.

Healing Sex by Staci Haines

There's a lot of good information in this book about how the body and mind work together in how people feel and how they can get better after they've had sexual abuse. A lot of people say that the new version is almost the same. It has a new title and some changes here and there. I read the older version. The book focuses on how to survive and heal from childhood sexual trauma, but it isn't just about that. Most of it can be useful even if that isn't your situation. Wonderful: It has a good mix of theory and real-world exercises. It also includes validation and prompts. There is even a reading list in the back. One of the things I don't like about this book is that it's very focused on cisgender and heterosexual experiences (it does have some language about other experiences, but not much). If your body experiences aren't like that, you may need to "translate" this book.

The Long Tail of Trauma By Elizabeth Wilcox

This soon-to-be-released book, The Long Tail of Trauma, is important because of the reported rise in abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. People who care for people who were abused as children will find this book especially important. Against the backdrop of a twenty-year conversation between a daughter and her mother, The Long Tail of Trauma tells the story of women who have had Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and have been abused. This multigenerational memoir is based on both the author's research and her work developing training materials for early childhood education and trauma-informed care, which makes it very interesting.

Surviving a Cyberstalker by Alexis Moore

Surviving If you want to protect yourself from abuse both online and off, this book is for you! It's a must-have book in the age of the Internet.

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